Threader block



April 7, 1925.

J. M. SHANNON ET AL THREADER BLOCK Filed April 15, 192 4 4 I IIIIIH WITNESSES Patented" Apr. 7, 1925 UNITED STATES 1,533,036 PATENT. OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. SHANNON AND PAUL J. SHANNON, F NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

'.I.,HREADEB BLOCK.

Application filed April 15, 1924. Serial No. 706,750.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOSEPH M. SHAN- NON and PAUL J. SHANNON, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Norwich, in the county of New London' and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Threader Block, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to threader blocks and particularly to a structure for automatically guiding the thread into position and has for an object to provide tension means co-acting with the guiding means whereby the thread is automatically and immediately brought under tension as it is brought into correct threaded position.

Another object of the invention is to porvide a threader block wherein the tension device'may be readily varied to provide different tensions.

In the accompanying drawing-- Figure 1 is a top plan view of one end of a shuttle disclosing a threader'block embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through Fig-- ure 1, approximately on line 2-2.

' Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view through Figure 1, approximately on line Figure 4 is a side elevation on a slightly enlarged scale of a tension screw embodying certain features of the invention.

Figure 5 is a detail fragmentary sectional view through a slightly modified tension device to that shown in Figure 3, the section being shown at right angles to the section in Figure 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 indicates the body of the shuttle provided with a bobbin 2 of the usual kind from which the thread 3 extends through the threader block 4in substantially the usual manner. The threader block 4 is made of a special structure which will automatically guide the thread 3 into a threaded position and will provide a desired tension.

co-acts with a stationary plate for producin the desired friction or tension on the threa 3. i

From Figure 3 it will be noted that the plates 9 and 10 are at a slight angle in a plane parallel to the bottom of the shuttle 1 whereby the thread may more readily vbe passed between the plates and maintained therein. The plate 10 is provided with one or more guiding pins 11 which project through suitable apertures in plate 9 whereby this plate may move upwardly and downwardly and also may swing somewhat as the apertures are appreciably larger than the pins 11. An upstanding lug 12 is provided on the plate 9 and acts to hold the lower end of the spring 13 in position on plate 9 while the upper end surrounds the reduced end 14 of the screw 15.

From Figure 4 it will be noted that the screw is provided with a very deep slot or kerf 16 whereby the same is comparatively resilient and is, consequently, continually pressing against the threads of the aperture through which it passes. In order that the threads of this screw may have ample threads on the plate 5,-an enlargement or boss 17 is provided which, however, does not project above the upper plane of the shuttle. The resilient action of the screw produces a locking effect whereby the screw is automatically locked in any desired adjusted position and the spring 13 is maintained under the desired tension. The acplate 9 against the tension plate'10 while the tension plate 9 'is permitted a more or less free movement.

When the thread 3 is first threaded into the threaderblock it is pulled substantially longitudinally of the shuttle and moved tion of this spring is to urge the tension along the line 18 until finally it passes over I the end 19 and downwardly out the side opening 20. As it moves downwardly and out the side opening, a slight pull will cause part of the thread to automatically move to the position indicated in Figure 3 whereby it is pinched to a greater or less extent by the plates 9and 10. As the shuttle moves back and forth on the lay during the operation thereof, the thread will be pulled auto- 'matically and will be maintained under tension by the action of the tension lates. Under some circumstances, it might e desirable to provide greater faces than the smooth plates shown in Figure 3 will pro- 'act-ing therewith,

duce. When this is the case, the modified structure shown in Figure is substituted for that shown in Figure 3. This modified structure shows a plate 9' similar to plate 9 except that the contact face 21 is corru while the plate is also provided with a corrugated face '22, the Jeorrugations running transversely of the shuttle so that the thread 3 must pass over each corrugation. The corrugations not only act as friction members for producing the desired tension but also act in a certain sense as cleaning members for scrapin oif any foreign" matter that might be on t e thread.

What we claim is: g

1. A threader block including a plate having means for guiding the thread in a given and a pair of tension plates coone of said tenslon plates having a flange acting as a guide, and a plurality of pins extending from the other of the tension plates loosely through the first mentioned plate for holding said tension plates substantially in alignment.

2. A threader block including a guiding plate, a pair of tension plates, 9. spring for resiliently holding said tension plates todirection,

I gether, and

means for varying the tension of said spring, said means comprising a screw having a reduced portion fitting into said spring, and a threaded section slotted for almost its full length for providing resilient arts whereby the screw is resiliently locked in difierent'positions.

3. A threader block, including a tension plate having a flange on one edge acting as a thread ide, a fixed spring acting on said tension pate tending to move the same in one direction, a stationary plate co-acting .with the tension plate and positioned substantially parallel therewith, said stationary plate having a flange fixed stationary in position for holding the stationary plate against independent movement, a top plate formed with a depending finger on each side of the flange on the tension plate for guiding a thread to the flange on the tension plate and to a point between the tension plate and the stationary plate, and means for guiding a thread from said plates to a point exterierly of the threader block.

JOSEPH M. SHANNON. PAUL 'J; SHANNON. 

